California bill seeks safety for released inmates after Alameda County woman’s death

The front entrance into the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, California, on Thurs. Aug. 4, 2016.

Photo: Michael Macor / The Chronicle

Legislation designed to protect inmates in California from being released from jail in the middle of the night was introduced Monday in an effort to prevent tragedies like one that happened last July when an Alameda County woman died on the streets.

State Senator Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, introduced SB 42, known as the Getting Home Safe Act, on Monday after the death of Jessica St. Louis, who was released from Santa Rita Jail, in Dublin, at 1:25 a.m, on July 28, a time when no public transit was available. She was later found dead on the street.

The bill would require jails to offer inmates the choice of being released during the daytime when transportation is available.

“It makes no sense that a jail would send someone walking alone to a closed train station in the dead of night,” Skinner said. “Jessica’s death was a preventable tragedy.”

St. Louis was given BART ticket when she was released, but the nearest BART station was more than a mile away and wasn’t scheduled to open for at least four hours. She also did not have a cell phone and had no way to contact friends or family, Skinner said.

Her body was found in front of the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station, the apparent victim of a drug overdose. It wasn’t clear how she got the drugs.

Skinner said other women have been exposed to danger after being released from Santa Rita Jail. Reform advocates from the nonprofit Young Women’s Freedom Center claim women released late at night have been approached by drug dealers and men attempting to recruit them into sex work.

Senator Skinner’s office coordinated with members of the Sister Warriors Freedom Coalition (part of the Young Women’s Freedom Center) to develop the provisions contained in SB 42.

“We are grateful Senator Skinner stepped up to end late-night releases in honor of Jessica St. Louis and the hundreds of other women that have been negatively impacted by this practice,” said Jessica Nowlan, executive director of the Young Women’s Freedom Center. “Together we will make sure that California leads the way and ends this unsafe practice.”

The legislation would also ensure that people released from county jails be given three phone calls and access to a cell phone charging station before departure. Released inmates would also be provided with help enrolling in rehabilitative programs and given access to free transportation to any location within a 100 mile radius, according to the bill.

Any inmate who chooses to be released at night must be given a safe place to wait for a ride, Skinner’s bill states.

The bill would create a task force made up of women, girls and other formerly incarcerated individuals, to monitor implementation of the act.

“My bill will protect people at the point they are released,” Skinner said, “and by minimizing releases at unsafe times will also improve the health and safety of our communities.”

Peter Fimrite is The Chronicle’s lead science reporter, covering environmental, atmospheric and ecosystem science. His beat includes earthquake research, marine biology, wildfire science, nuclear testing, archaeology, wildlife and scientific exploration of land and sea. He also writes about the cannabis industry, outdoor adventure, Native American issues and the culture of the West. A former U.S. Forest Service firefighter, he has traveled extensively and covered a wide variety of issues during his career, including the Beijing Olympics, Hurricane Katrina, illegal American tourism in Cuba and a 40-day cross country car trip commemorating the history of automobile travel in America.